Sunroofs are very popular in motor vehicles. In their sunroofs, consumers want a smooth, molded look to make them more aesthetically pleasing. As a result, there has been a constant demand for better ways of utilizing a sunroof opening within a motor vehicle's headliner. Normally, there is some sort of secondary seal or molding that is used to make a sunroof opening more acceptable in appearance. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,609. In the '609 patent, the trim ring is complementary to the frame and is attached to the frame by fasteners so as to finish the bottom surface. Others use edging to create the desired appearance. One example is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,895. In the '895 patent, the invention recognized the problem of having a headliner with an opening such as a sunroof and solved the problem of an unsatisfactory appearance by utilizing pleated edging around the sunroof opening. U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,147 utilizes grooves for fastening the headliner of a motor vehicle to the roof frame with a lifting or sliding roof structure. The '147 patent uses a lower groove to receive the edge of the flange and the upper groove receives the edge of the cut out portion. This method also produces the look that consumers want.
The problem with these typical ways of installing sunroofs is that there is not always a quality fit or alignment of the trim ring to the headliner. There can be gapping or sliding of the trim ring within the opening of the headliner. This invention relates to an improved method of installing sunroofs within a motor vehicle. It solves the problem of gapping and sliding and reduces the cost of tools. This invention also allows for assembly at the manufacturers plant and not on line at the original equipment manufacturer. This invention completely eliminates the need for edge wrapping to get a molded look for the sunroof opening by sonically welding the sunroof trim ring to the headliner.